Subject: [Tweeters] Keeping house sparrows out of nest boxes
Date: Mar 26 07:29:42 2006
From: Linda Bainbridge - lbainbridge at uicalumni.org


I'm hoping someone can give me advice on this.
When I first moved to Whidbey Island two years ago, a pair of
Violet-green Swallows successfully nested in the attic of my house,
gaining access through a vent hole with broken screening. The following
year, I repaired the screening and put up a nest box in in the same
location on the side of the house. A pair of swallows successfully
nested in it, and another pair used another box we put up on the
opposite side of the house.
Here's the problem: a few days ago I noticed that at least four House
Sparrows, a species we almost never see on our property, were beginning
to use the boxes. So far, I've filled the entrance holes with steel
wool, hoping the sparrows will move on and that I can open up the holes
when the swallows start arriving. But I don't know if that will work.
I read on the internet that house sparrows will kill swallow nestlings.
By the way, I always put out black-oiled sunflower seeds and suet, which
attract about 20 species of birds, none of them objectionable. But as
spring approaches, I start seeing cowbirds, starlings, and now house
sparrows. I also suspect that the seeds are supporting a healthy rat
population. Maybe if I stopped feeding the birds, the citified
interlopers would stay away?